Repetitive pattern gait training addresses the problem of gaining or re-gaining walking function due to injury, illness, or disability by supporting and positioning the body while guiding the patient through biomechanically sound walking patterns.
The common standard for weight supported gait training requires therapists to employ hands-on manipulation. Typically, a therapist stands or sits next to a patient and is actively involved in pushing, pulling, lifting, and generally guiding the patient's legs through the gait cycle. This approach is imprecise, labor intensive, rigorous for therapist/trainer, and is generally not sustainable for the many hours of repetition typically required to achieve lasting benefits. Capable gait training machines and devices are typically costly and therefore inaccessible to many who would benefit by using them.